Loughton: A Role Model for Independent Localism

In 1981 Loughton residents disagreed with their district council over planning. They formed their own association, the Loughton Residents Association (LRA), and put forward their own independent candidates. Now they don’t rely on the whims of national politics, because they have 1 county, 12 district and 18 town councillors.

Election by election they have increased their position on the councils

As of 2013 Loughton Residents Association has:

The single County Council position for Loughton

They are the majority on the Town Council with 82% of the seats

They are the official opposition on the District Council with 21% of the seats

In 2013 Saffron Walden started down its own residents’ path by standing their own candidate John Lodge in the May Essex County Council Elections. Nearby village Newport did the same in their Uttlesford District by-election. Both candidates won.

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One comment on “Loughton: A Role Model for Independent Localism”

This change has to happen in Uttlesford! Since 1991 when I first became a district councillor the constant ‘politicking’ within the council has done the people of Uttlesford gross disservice. Being a district councillor is not about ‘Yah! Boo!’ politics and getting headlines in the local papers; it’s about independence of thought and judgement, and it’s about serving your community – indeed, the whole community of the district – to the very best of your ability, irrespective of party allegiance. It also means that you have a duty to attend meetings and to participate in debate, not to be just ‘voting fodder’ for those who think they know best. People may disagree with you, but that goes with the office of councillor. Currently too many members have allowed themselves to become tools of the council’s administration group and their Stalinist way of carrying out council ‘policy’. I just wonder how many members have even read through their Councillor’s Handbook and Uttlesford District Council’s Constitution. Ah, the poor Constitution! – how it has suffered in the time the current administration has been in office, at the hands of both members and officers, repeatedly ignored, abused and subverted!